Siberia plague scare: Pandemic risk ‘very low’, says infectious diseases expert

The unexplained death of a laboratory worker at a plague research institute in Siberia has prompted Russian authorities to quarantine around 200 people, amid concerns she may have contracted pneumonic plague. CNA looks at what is known about the case so far. Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious diseases specialist at the ANU Medical School, tells CNA’s Asia First that the risk of a global pandemic is “very low”, noting that plague is well understood and treatable with antibiotics. However, he says more information is needed to establish what caused the worker’s death and whether a laboratory accident was involved. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Visit our website: https://cna.asia Download our app: https://cna.asia/app Get our editors' picks of stories via chat apps: Telegram: https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp: https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us on these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia